The Melbourne International Arts Festival is not supportive, nor inclusive of the greater part of Melbourne Artists. Instead it is a curated festival. They do not allow Melbourne’s talented artists the opportunity to express themselves.
The only time Melbourne artists are considered is when the almighty Artistic Director feels the inclusion of that Melbourne Artist is someone they believe should be invited. Thus, the character of the Festival depends on the curatorial vision of each Artistic Director. How extremely aloof can Melbourne Artists and the public at large be, to allow this kind of Hierarchy dominate a festival that represents Melbourne Art to the world?
Local and visiting artists are able to become involved with the Festival only when they apply for a Local Artist Card. Such an item gives that artist the status to interact with and discuss art with staff and the artists who are being featured. How incredibly debilitating it must be to be an artist who is forced to look at these artists on a pedestal?
My god isn’t ironic that contemporary legends since the 1960’s have always pushed boundaries through delinquency and being undisciplined amateurs. Is it not true that art history has seen many of the most groundbreaking cultural movements through a network of creative individuals who dared to question elitist highbrow art values?
Their outline of the festival fills the mass populous with mind bending spiels about how the true artist does not need money but has subliminal undertones, shadowing art, as just a business. They correctly state that the only currency artists need is creativity, emotion and imagination. However, they tend to express something which they themselves have failed to open doors to and that is to give the common artist of Melbourne an opportunity to generate the passion and ideas that define the community of Melbourne. Is that not what this Festival is supposed to represent?
It appears this is quite an elitist group, who dominate the Arts culture of Melbourne as though throwing around its corporate weight through its acts of buggery. The Melbourne International Arts Festival is supposed to be a way of showing that this is Australia’s greatest international performing and visual arts along with Melbourne's finest, to create a cultural event that so why then does is not truly embrace the artistic community of Melbourne’s talent at large?
I fail to see how this Festival is able to bring the unparalleled feast of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, multimedia and outdoor events from renowned and upcoming Australian and International companies and artists to Melbourne that this highbrow organization is able convince us of. How Brett Sheehy can be proud of presenting this as Australia’s finest Artistic cultural Festival for Melbourne is beyond my comprehension.
The 2009 Melbourne International Arts Festival will take place between: 9 - 24 October 2009. I won’t be going.
Written by Frank Barresi
theonewhodoesnotexist@gmail.com
www.theonewhodoesnotexist.blogspot.com
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